Blood Warrior
by Mystical Authoress
Summary: AU, takes place post-game. After an encounter with the mysterious beings known as Blood Creatures, Therius finds himself as the possible savior of the entire Empire, to protect his world from a force that wants to dominate the world around him. In the midst of this fight, however, he soon realizes that there are people that are willing to stay by his side, no matter what.
1. By the blood

**Author note: I do not own 'The Last Story.' **

**I do swear I am coming up with too many fanfic ideas...But thankfully, I have more time to hack away at fics considering that it's summer. So, I figured that starting this fic would be okay-I've got a general idea of the plot, so it should be alright...I hope. Don't expect this fic to updated often, though, because I'll be mainly working on 'The Last Story-Anthology.' **

**Warning: Takes place post-game so possible spoilers, pairings (SyrennexLowell, Zaelista, a little HoracexMeredith and maybe other pairings, too-might have Therius paired with someone in-game, we'll see...), OCs (not as many as the Last Story Anthology...I hope...so hopefully approximately less than seven...), violence, swearing, usage of alcohol (due to Syrenne's usual behaviour)...I think that should be it. Oh, wait, almost forgot-there will be lots of blood in this chapter. Lots. But not too graphically described. Just thought I'd warn you in case you hate blood. **

**Constructive Criticism would be great, and I hope you read, review and enjoy! Thanks! :)**

* * *

_**Blood Warrior**_

* * *

_There is a legend about the creatures of blood. _

_The creatures of blood lure their prey, before baptizing them with blood and consuming then._

_Legend has it that one of those that they lure, however, will not become their meal after being baptized, but will be chosen to become a savior to the world they inhabit._

_They call this savior the _**Blood Warrior.**

* * *

**_1. By the blood_**

There was screaming of the people.

There was fire, consuming everything in its path.

And in the middle of the chaos, there was a knight of white.

Sir Therius tried to assess his surroundings as he struck down another Reptid. No one had any idea of how the Reptids had gotten to the villages surrounding Lazulis. They should have been sealed away for good when Zael and his troops sealed off the only entrance that led to Lazulis from the Reptid underground hideaways.

Obviously, though, the Reptids had dug a new path, and now they were attacking the villages out of vengeance, for vengeance that they hadn't been rescued from the poisoned waters down below.

Therius couldn't just let this happen, of course. It was a knight's duty to protect the people, to put others before oneself. He and the best-trained of the soon-to-be knights from the Empire had went to the villages immediately to fight against the Reptids.

Things weren't going too well. Some of the knights fled the scene once things got rough, and some of them were just simply too weak. The amount of Reptids attacking was more than originally thought to be, and everything just wasn't going well at all.

He slashed aside another Reptid, continuing to fight until-

The Reptids suddenly ran away. Therius stared at them in confusion. What would make them suddenly run away? Perhaps the Reptids had been called to retreat suddenly? Maybe it was a trap. He ordered the knights still standing to not follow them and tend to the wounded, before looking around.

He heard a faint whisper in his ear.

_By the blood you shall be purified, and by being purified you shall become the savior._

"What?" He spoke aloud, looking around. There was no one immediately beside him, and he found this...extremely odd. Who had spoken just now?

"Is there anything wrong, sir?" One of the knights spoke up, noticing Therius' expression of suspicion.

Therius shook his head quickly. "No. It is nothing concerning you. Go tend to the wounded and gather the villagers together. Tell the others to keep watch over the villagers as well." The knight nodded, before walking towards the other villagers.

The white-haired knight looked around. He was sure that someone had spoken just now, but who?

It was then that he caught sight of a slender, shadowy figure a few feet away from him. It paused, noticing that Therius saw it, before it suddenly flew away, into the forest nearby. Therius knew he had to investigate. What was that creature? He had never seen anything like it before. It was no Reptid, for sure...

He paused, ordering the knights to keep watch over the villagers and to put out the fires immediately, before rushing into the forest. He had to find that creature. He had to know what was going on. He just had to know.

He eventually stopped running. How far did he end up in the forest, anyway? Maybe searching for the creature wasn't worth it. He should be tending to the villagers and making sure the knights he commanded were in line, not searching for something that could have been a trick of the light.

Before he could turn around and go back to the village, however, shades of bloody red danced into his vision and turned it to a raven black.

* * *

He woke up, lying on the ground on his back. A spell of dizziness prevented him from trying to sit up, and he closed his eyes briefly as the headache pulsed through his mind.

What had happened earlier? How long had he been knocked out? Perhaps that creature from earlier knocked him unconscious, for fear of being followed. He knew he should probably head back to the village-the soldiers were probably wondering where he was, now.

Before he could let his mind wander any further, something liquid-like hit his left cheek with a soft _drip. _

Therius blinked out of his thoughts, and the headache had ceased slightly. He slowly, cautiously, let his right hand slide towards his face, before touching at his left cheek. He then pulled it away to look at it.

The liquid was blood, the colour being as scarlet as the darkest red rose.

Therius initially recoiled at the sight-until splatters of blood landed on his forehead and the rest of his face. Some drops got into his eyes, and he had to blink and rub at his eyes furiously to get it all out. The same slim figures from before-one of them, he was sure, he had followed-appeared in his vision, all of them splattered in blood.

It was then that Therius knew what was going on. These creatures lured their prey to a more private area before-before capturing them and baptizing them with-

_Blood. _Therius' eyes widened in disbelief. They were going to baptize him with blood and consume his soul afterwards. He had to get away-he _needed _to get away before they were finished with the baptism! Otherwise they would be able to eat his soul, and-and-

He did _not_ want to die. Not like this...

He immediately tried to scramble to his feet, determined to run away from them, no matter how cowardly the action was. He figured he would have to fight them off, and-

His train of thought broke once again as several clawed, slender and blood-splattered hands pinned him down to the ground by his ankles and wrists. Human-like faces, but with wide, wide eyes, glanced down at him curiously as he tried to struggle against their grasp. In an instant, he remembered the pictures of these beings in the few books he had read about the myths surrounding the Empire.

_The Blood Creatures. They are here..._

"Unhand me at once!" Therius snapped, trying to move his arms and legs in a vain attempt. The sound of metal being unsheathed caught his attention, and he noticed them pulling out his sword from its scabbard. Therius immediately tried to grab it, so he could slash at them and get out of his restraints, but the blood creatures took it away before he could even hold one fingertip to the sword's handle. "Let me go!"

Blood rained down upon his struggling form, and he repeatedly blinked to try to get some of the blood out of his eyes. Some locks of his white hair got into his face, and he saw that they were completely soaked a dark scarlet, dyed from the blood that the blood creatures were using on him for his 'baptism.'

He wasn't sure what to do-he was unarmed, he was restrained, and blood was being poured all over him constantly. At this rate, the baptism would be finished soon and his soul would be eaten by these beings. He could scream for help, but he doubted anyone could hear him.

Before he could get himself to make a decision, he suddenly felt the pouring of the life-giving liquid upon him halt, as if someone had just turned the tap of a sink to stop the water from flowing anymore. His eyes snapped open as a feeling of dread invaded his chest.

He was going to die; completely defenseless, surrounded by the creatures of blood and have his soul eaten by them. He closed his eyes again, not wanting to see them as they consumed his soul.

Instead of pain or whatever feeling that was connected to souls being eaten, he felt the brush of a blood-splattered hand touch the scar above his left eye. His eyes shot open again, and he noticed that very hand belonged to one of the Blood Creatures. The creature gazed at Therius with a tender look in its glassy eyes, and Therius almost fell into a trance just by looking at those eyes. The knight blinked as the hand trailed downward from the scar towards his cheek, caressing it gently. He shuddered slightly at the touch-it wasn't cold like ice, nor as warm as fresh blood-no, it was a combination of both temperatures and he felt unused to it.

He heard a quiet voice in his head suddenly, and he knew that the creature had been the one to speak it to him earlier.

_By the blood you shall be purified, and by being purified you shall become the savior._

"Wait-" Therius tried to manage a sentence, confused by the statement. "What do you mean by-by-purified? Or the savior? The savior of what?"

_In time you will know._

He felt a pair of lips gently press against his scar, and he suddenly felt very, very sleepy. Unable to fight the drowsiness, he saw his world turn to black as the alarmed shouts of soldiers faded from his ears.

* * *

Three cloaked figures gathered together, in a secret place.

"So...It seems that the so-called savior of this world has finally been chosen by the Blood Creatures." One of them spoke, a curious tone echoing her voice. "I don't seem to remember his name, though..."

"It is Sir Therius." The second spoke, taller and older than the young, cloaked female. "He currently took over the late General Asthar's position of training the soon-to-be knights of the Empire. I would like to think the creatures chose a good one to be the savior." He finished, giving a small chuckle. "He sounds very interesting to me."

"Our master will be pleased to hear this. That man will be vital to his plans..." The third spoke, its voice slightly sharper than the other two. It looked at the second cloaked figure that had spoken, before it spoke again. "Go to Lazulis City. Since the Blood Creatures found him close to there, he will probably be brought there to recover from that event. Go to Lazulis City, and see if he is truly the one to be the savior of this world."

"Understood." The man disappeared, leaving the other two behind.

"Why can't I do it?" The younger one asked the third one. "I have just as much as power as he does. You know that!"

"True." The third agreed. "You do have enough power to equally match Therius in battle. But, you are needed for something else. Should the one I just sent fail his mission, you will needed to take down the savior so that our master will achieve his ultimate goal, to have complete power over the Blood Creatures and rule this world. Understood?"

The younger one let out a sigh, before responding. "Alright, alright...I'll just keep a close eye on him. Don't worry, I won't interfere unless I really have to. Promise." With that being said, she disappeared from sight.

The last one smiled from underneath the cloak. "I wonder, Sir Therius...How will you try to defy us?"


	2. Haunted

**_2. Haunted_**

The feeling of something damp and cold as ice roused Therius from his unconsciousness. He jerked upwards, trying to sit up, but two strong arms held him down. The white knight writhed in the firm grip for a moment, before he heard a familiar voice.

"Therius! Therius, calm down...please. It's alright. You're safe here."

A familiar young man made eye contact with him, and Therius immediately recognized him.

"Z-Zael...?" Therius let his body relax back onto the bed that he was lying on, and also noticed a young, familiar raven-haired woman remove a damp cloth from his forehead. "Miss Mirania..." He paused, before speaking again. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"Your soldiers found you unconscious in the woods, completely covered in blood. They were worried that you had been ambushed." Mirania explained quietly to him. "You're in the hospital wing of Lazulis Castle right now."

"I-I see..." Mirania helped him sit up as he continued. "I was...ambushed by Blood creatures...That would probably explain my initially bloody appearance when I was found. They didn't try to consume my soul, though, which is odd..."

"Blood creatures?" Zael asked, confusion overtaking his face. "What are those things?"

"They lure lost people towards a secluded place, and then they 'baptize' the prey in blood and consume their souls." The three turned to see Yurick, walking into the room as he spoke up. "There is a myth surrounding them that there will be one that they baptize and not kill. That person will be known as the Blood Warrior, who will save the world from destruction." The white-haired fire mage let out a sigh, before finishing. "Therius, if that myth is actually real, it's possible that they chose you as the Blood Warrior."

Confusion crossed Therius' mind. "Me? The Blood Warrior?" He blurted out, before biting his tongue a little to stay silent. He didn't know how to respond-he never thought anything like that could happen to him specifically...

A whispery sigh made its way into his ear, and he turned to see none other than a Blood creature, gazing at him with wide eyes as a bloody hand reached forward to touch his cheek. Therius' eyes widened, and he initially slapped the hand away.

"Don't touch me." He growled, inching away from the creature a little._ "Stay. Back."_ The blood-splattered creature stared at Therius, before it floated a few inches away from his face. Therius took a deep breath, before speaking again. "Leave me alone. Leave the others alone. Do you understand?" The blood creature tilted its head to the side, like a curious child, before it vanished from view.

Zael, Mirania, and Yurick were silent for a moment, before Zael spoke up. "Yurick...should I assume that only Therius can control the Blood creatures, since he's probably the Blood Warrior?"

"Yes, he can control them, but he's not the only one." The fire-wielding teen responded, crossing his arms. "I think if anyone has enough power, they can probably control them, but the Blood Warrior should have ultimate power above all of those creatures. They would obey his every order without question, but...if there are others that can control the Blood creatures as well, I think those others and the Blood Warrior would have a struggle for power over them."

Mirania looked at Therius, who was silent. "Are you alright, Therius?" She asked quietly, glancing at his face, which was as pale as a sheet.

Therius blinked, before responding. "I'm fine, Miss Mirania." He answered too quickly. "I just...I just need time to think."

It was then that he looked into a nearby mirror, and noticed that the scar above his left eye was dyed a deep crimson.

* * *

The white knight slid into the water, filled to the brim with frothy bubbles. After reassuring the others that he was alright, he had decided to bathe. It was long since he had a proper bath, and it would give him time to ponder over this information about the Blood creatures and the myths surrounding them.

He touched the scar above his left eye briefly with a soapy hand, before he let it fall to his side. The Blood creatures had marked his scar, and the scarlet colour of it was as noticeable as the first flower that bloomed in spring. He was thankful that his snow-white hair was free of any blood-it would have been terrible if it had permenantly dyed his hair. The mark was a more than easy-enough reminder of the 'baptism' he had gone through days ago. He didn't need anything else to remind him of that incident.

He closed his eyes, sinking further into the bath until only his neck and head could be visible, trying to ignore the memory. He instead focused on what Yurick had told him earlier.

The Blood Warrior? Therius could not comprehend why the Blood creatures would choose him to take such a role. Why choose him, out of everyone else in existence?

A slender hand snaked its way to his shoulder, and he turned to see a Blood creature, looking at him with wide eyes as it caressed his shoulder, streaking it with blood. Therius jerked himself away from the creature, eyebrows furrowing in frustration as he snapped.

"I _thought_ I told you earlier to leave me _alone_." He muttered quietly, making eye contact with the creature. "Can I not have any sort of privacy?"

The creature didn't answer him, and it watched Therius scrub the blood off his shoulder. The white knight let out a sigh, before he spoke again.

"Why did your kind choose _me_ to be the Blood Warrior?"

There was silence for a moment, before a voice resonated in his head.

_In time you shall know._

The creature disappeared from sight, before Therius could ask anymore questions.

Later in the night, visions of the Blood creatures constantly haunted his dreams.

* * *

Zesha was once again struck down, and through pained eyelids he watched the Blood creatures swarm the Gurak,_ his people_, as the mysterious cloaked being spoke to him.

_"You will** leave** this place. Leave this place now, or I will order the Blood creatures to kill your people **one by one**. Now."_

The new leader of the Gurak tried to shout something in defiance, unwilling to obey, but the cloaked one grabbed him by the neck.

_"You **will** answer to me, Zesha.** Leave. Now."**_

Zesha felt himself being thrown onto the stone floor again, and with a shaky hand, he summoned the last bit of magic to send himself to a hopefully safer place. He wasn't sure if the humans there would accept his presence, but they were the only ones to turn to for help. As much as he loathed them for taking his brother away from him, they were the only ones that could...

_"Z-Zesha!?"_

_"What-what is he doing here?"_

_"He is bleeding-he's injured-we need to help him, now!"_

_"...Why is he here?"_

He tried to speak up to explain why, but his vision blacked out, leaving him in a silent darkness.


	3. Confusion

_3. Confusion_

Therius stepped forwards, before he sat down on his knees. He looked at the grave across from him, and he closed his eyes, letting out a breath.

_General Asthar...what would you tell me to do if you knew about this?_

He opened his eyes again, and stared at the late General's grave. Whenever he had gotten confused about an issue, the General had given him clarity. But now he was gone, and Therius was stuck in a whirlwind of misty confusion. He didn't know what to do with this power-nothing but to use it wisely. But how was he supposed to use such deadly powers wisely? They seemed as deadly as the Outsider's power-maybe even more than that.

_How do I use this power wisely, without hurting anyone? _

He heard a soft, muffled voice croon softly in his ear, and he turned to see some of the Blood creatures, gazing at him quietly, before their eyes flickered temporarily towards the grave.

"He was my mentor, my guide." Therius explained quietly to them, guessing that they were wondering who General Asthar was. "He was a great man-he knew how a true knight should act. His skills...are yet to be matched by me. I know that I am still not worthy enough to be called the General's equal-I just know and feel it."

"Sir Therius?" He turned his head to see a familiar, black-robed figure walk towards him.

"Miss Mirania..." He trailed off quietly, standing up and facing her completely. "What is it?"

Mirania hesitated, before speaking. "An hour ago...Zesha of the Gurak Continent suddenly arrived at Lazulis Castle. He was injured quite a lot."

"Zesha?" Therius had never met the new Gurak leader in person, but he knew that he had attempted to kill Zael and his friends because they killed his brother, Zepha. He also knew that he and Zepha were right-hand men to the late Zangurak. Considering that Zesha claimed to dislike humans, it seemed ironic that he went to them for help. "What happened to him?"

"The Gurak Continent was attacked only hours ago." Mirania folded her hands together, wincing slightly before she continued. "Zesha said that Blood creatures attacked them."

Therius' eyes widened. "Bring me to him. Please."

* * *

Zesha could barely form a glare in his weakened state as he watched the black-haired healer enter the room, along with a white-haired knight he did not recognize at first. He then remembered-_General Asthar's pupil-_and he spoke up quietly. Callista and Zael were by his bedside, having been healing his injuries and trying to get information about the Blood creatures' attack out of him, but he had not been able to speak yet. He _did_ nearly get his throat completely slashed during the attack, after all-he couldn't speak so easily as he hoped he could.

"It's _you._ General Asthar's pupil." The Gurak leader managed to say, despite his damaged vocal chords trying to restrain him from speaking. He peered through a blackened eye to see a dark scarlet mark just above Therius' left eye. "That _mark...it's..."_

"The Blood Warrior's mark. I know." Therius answered him quietly. "My name is Therius, Lord Zesha."

_"Lord?"_ Zesha scoffed slightly. "Please. I could_ never_ be equal to the late Lord Zangurak. He united all of my p-" He suddenly went into a series of coughs, and he felt his body convulse in pain.

"Zesha! Just...please. You shouldn't strain yourself." Zael told him quietly.

"I'm not sure if now is a good time to talk. He needs_ rest,"_ Callista cut in, making eye contact with Zesha before turning towards Therius, "And you should rest as well, Therius. I think all of us would be able to communicate better with a good night's sleep."

"But-" Both Zesha and Therius protested, but Callista silenced them with another look.

"I can speak to Zesha, Callista." Mirania told Callista quietly. "I think it would be better for the rest of you to discuss about the issue in private, and come back to Zesha tomorrow morning. He needs to rest." She waited quietly for Zael, Callista and Therius to leave the room before she turned towards Zesha. "You're safe here, Lord Zesha." She tried to reassure him. "Just get some rest-I'm sure you'll be able to speak better by the morning, I just need to heal your neck more..."

"Please...I do-do _not_ deserve a title like that. Not after-not after-_after_ how I-" Zesha croaked out, coughing another time after he finished. He took a few, shallow breaths, before trying to continue. "After how I...left...left my people...to _suffer_ in the hands-hands of-"

"The Blood creatures?" Mirania tried to help as she gently laid a hand on the Gurak leader's throat. She felt him suddenly grab her wrist tightly. "I'm not going to hurt you, Zesha._ Please._..let me help you."

Both pairs of eyes made contact, and they were both silent. Mirania saw the fear in Zesha's eyes; fear for his people, fear of being unable to protect them. Mirania didn't know what to say, but she knew the feeling of being unable to protect others. She had been unable to save some of the land from dying because of the Outsider's power for a long while, and she had felt terrible about it. Perhaps, Mirania mused in her mind, perhaps Zesha felt something quite akin to what she felt back then, except it was for something different.

Zesha seemed to hesitate, before his grip on her wrist went slack. She gently placed it aside with her other hand, before she closed her eyes and focused on healing the long-haired Gurak.

"Not just the Blood creatures." He rasped out quietly. Mirania listened carefully, unsure if she heard what he said correctly. "Not just the Blood creatures-they-they were not the only ones. There was...a man. And...Reptids, following him. Tried to...hold against them, but they were..."

"Too powerful for you to handle?" Mirania tried to help again. "I understand, I'm sorry..."

"It is..._not_ your fault..." She heard him murmur quietly. "Not yours...mine. It's all..._my fault..."_

Zesha and Mirania both went silent, and they did not speak again for the rest of the night.

* * *

"I'm finally here." A cloaked man looked around Lazulis' ports. "I should rest around here for the night...I need to keep myself hidden until morning." He murmured to himself. He let out a sigh of relief, just as he heard a soft voice speak suddenly from behind him.

_"Boo."_

"Aah!" He turned around, and he glared at a little girl laughing, wearing the same cloak as he did. "Ulrica, what are you doing here? I'm doing this mission _myself,_ and I do not need your help!" He snarled, taking a sword out and pointed it at her as he spoke.

"What? I'm just assigned to watch over you, Cassius." She responded, crossing her arms and tilting her head slightly as she gave a small frown towards him. "There is no need to get so mad, you know."

He let out a sigh as he sheathed the sword. "Alright, I understand...it's because I'm the weakest out of the three of us, right?" He asked quietly. Ulrica merely nodded in response. "It's fine, Ulrica. I have power over the Blood creatures...and Sir Therius will have no choice but to fight me to gain more power over them himself. That is where I have an _advantage,_ because I_ know_ how to use them properly."

As he spoke, a Blood creature had appeared quietly from behind him, and it reached out quietly to touch his shoulder.

He turned, glaring at the creature as he slapped its blood-splattered hand away. "Do _not_ dare touch me." He snapped, and the Blood creature recoiled from him. He smirked slightly, before turning towards Ulrica again. "See? They obey my commands_ without_ second thought. Sir Therius will be overwhelmed before he will be able to fully harness even the _basics_ of handling Blood creatures."

"I'll give you the _benefit_ of the doubt, and hope that you succeed. I will be watching, Cassius." With that being said, she disappeared into the night. Cassius cursed quietly to himself.

"Benefit of the doubt? How dare she." He muttered quietly, crossing his arms. "I _will _destroy Therius...no matter what. And then I will rise in the ranks of power and be equal with my master...just you wait. Just you wait, Ulrica."


	4. Labyrinth

**_4. Labyrinth_**

* * *

"I finally got to the castle! Where could that knight be?" Cassius muttered quietly as he entered Castle Gate Plaza. "Dang it, if I'm going to find Sir Therius soon, I suppose I'll just have to mix things up..."

"And the master has made us come with you." Cassius turned to see two cloaked figures, their faces obscured by the hoods. He didn't need to know their appearance to know who they were, however.

"You two!? You...you followed me here, didn't you?" Cassius let out a sigh, shaking his head. "The master really didn't trust me with handling this mission alone, isn't that right?"

The taller of the two in front of him nodded. "Apparently so." He responded. Both cloaked figures exchanged glances with each other before he continued speaking. "He wants us to search the castle along with you once you cast your Area Illusion spell. It would be easier to find Therius."

Cassius looked at the castle, before looking at the two, before looking at the castle again. "I suppose that's true. I'm the only one here that has no idea how the original layout of the castle works, after all..."

* * *

Zesha's eyelids slowly opened as sunlight streamed through the infirmary windows. Lazily glancing to his right, he saw a young woman with short, black hair sitting in a chair near him, asleep. It was then that the pain rushed back to his body, and he cringed as he struggled to sit up.

Memories from yesterday snapped back into his mind-the Reptids, the Blood creatures, that one cloaked figure that forced him to_ leave_ his people behind. The Gurak leader put a hand to his throat, and felt the scars there. He doubted the scratches were deep-he would be able to speak well eventually, but for now he should rest his vocal chords...

He glanced at the sleeping healer again. What was her name? He had seen this person before-he had fought against her, even. What was her name? Racking his mind for the name didn't help-it gave him a headache instead.

"Damn it." Zesha uttered quietly as he held his head with one hand, praying that the throbbing pain in his head would cease soon.

He heard a soft purr to his left, and he turned to come face to face with none other than Blood creatures. He recoiled at first-he didn't want to get killed by them or anything of the sort, but he soon realized that they didn't look like they wished to harm him.

Two cold, damp hands gently pushed him into a proper sitting position, and he looked behind him to see another Blood creature. They must have wished to help him this time, rather than harm him. Perhaps, Zesha mused, because of the fact that they were not being controlled by anyone at the moment meant that they would do what they wanted to do and not just go kill people all the time.

_Could I stand? _He was unsure of whether he had the strength to do so. He hoped he could. Now, he just needed to get up-

He felt two Blood creatures pull him to his feet, and he stood quietly, staring at them. He swayed slightly, but he eventually caught his balance. He stared at the creatures, unsure of how to react.

_...That was unexpected...wait, unless..._

_Can they read my thoughts?_

The Blood creatures surrounding him just nodded in response as if he had asked them the question aloud.

_Oh. So they _can_ read my thoughts. _

He looked around quietly, before glancing at the sleeping young mage again.

_Do you know her name, by any chance?_

There was no answer for a moment, before several voices suddenly whispered their way into his head.

_Mirania...Mirania...Mirania..._

Zesha nodded in response to them, and the Blood creatures went silent. He glanced at the blanket on the bed that he had been previously sleeping in, and he figured he would try something. He pointed at the blanket, before pointing towards Mirania.

A few of the Blood creatures picked up the blanket, staining it a little with their blood-splattered hands, and carried it to Mirania before dumping it on her sleeping body.

_...So that works as well...but why are they even obeying me?_

Looking down at his hands, he noticed something was definitely amiss about them. His dark eyes widened slightly in disbelief.

_This should not be possible._

* * *

Mirania let out a yawn as she woke up, blinking sunlight out of her eyes as she pushed the blanket off her body-

Wait. What blanket?

She stared at the blanket covering her, a few bloody handprints staining the white sheet. Looking around, she realized there was the absence of a certain Gurak leader. Pushing the blanket aside and standing up, she looked around the room.

"Zesha must have left earlier..." She muttered quietly to herself as she smoothed out her short, black hair the best she could with her hands. "Where could he have gone?"

She turned to see a Blood creature, gazing at her quietly, before it pointed to the door.

"He went that way?" She asked aloud. The creature nodded, before floating through the door. "Wait!"

* * *

Therius sighed as thoughts of the Blood creatures and the myths surrounding them kept invading his mind. He couldn't get it all out of his head-he couldn't clear his mind at all.

Possibly being the legendary Blood Warrior was one thing, but the struggle for power over the Blood creatures kept reminding him of the war from earlier, reminding him of when people fought for the Outsider. That war hadn't been too long ago, and Therius prayed that another one wouldn't start anytime soon.

"Theri...us."

The white-haired knight turned to see Zesha approach him.

"Lord Zesha." Therius returned, bowing a little before the Gurak leader. "Are you in any better health than the previous night, sir?"

Zesha looked downwards for a moment, before he made eye contact with the white knight. "Yes. Better, though..." He gestured to his neck, and Therius noted the long, deep scar across from it. "I suppose that I might not be able to speak the greatest-not until it-"

"Understood." The two were silent for a moment, before Therius spoke up again. "You wished to speak with me?"

Zesha nodded, before he spoke again. "Do you know about the mark on your forehead?"

Therius nodded quietly. "Yes. I do."

The Gurak leader let out a breath, before he stated something Therius didn't think was possible.

"I have the same mark on my right hand."

Zesha extended his hand for Therius to see, and it was as clear as day-the blood-red mark was one and the same.

* * *

Mirania rushed through the corridors, searching for a glimpse of the Gurak leader. She would use her nose, but she doubted that she had any idea of what he smelled like. All she could depend on to help her right now were the Blood creatures that led her to who-knows-where.

She stopped running as soon as she heard a voice.

"Ah, you've come back. What is it?"

This wasn't Zesha's voice, or Therius, or anyone she knew. Or could it be-no, impossible! He was supposed to be dead...

"...Oh. I see. We didn't have to use her, but if she's the closest one to luring Sir Therius and Lord Zesha..." She heard the sound of a cringe, before the statement was finished. "I'm sorry, Mirania. I didn't want this to happen."

Her eyes widened, feeling a presence behind her, and she turned, realizing who it was.

_"General Astha-"_

Something heavy hit her in the side of the face, and her world went black.

* * *

Cassius stared at the black-haired girl silently. _"Her?"_ He asked, crossing his arms. "Asthar, what were you thinking?"

The former General let out a sigh. "She was the first one to be lured by them. First comes is first served."

Cassius went onto a knee, touching the unconscious mage's face, before smiling. "Perhaps you've done something useful-Therius and Zesha will come flocking to us to look for her. She'll be of use. Good work."

Asthar didn't say a thing. Instead, he knew, deep down inside, that he had betrayed a former ally and friend.

He had broken the knight's code; never betray your allies in the midst of battle. He had broken it, and he regretted it.

It was a price to pay for being alive again.


End file.
